Audubon Society of Kalamazoo to lead Great Backyard Bird Count field trip Saturday, February 16

On Saturday February 16 at 10:00 AM, the Audubon Society of Kalamazoo will host a field trip for the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) at the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery.
The Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery is located 200 yards south of M-43 on Fish Hatchery Road, about one mile west of the Kalamazoo County line.

The hatchery is a great spot to participate in the GBBC. It has a few different habitats and, most importantly, there is open water in winter. We will try to find all the birds that are calling the hatchery home for the winter and count how many of them there are. Previous counts have yielded some interesting species, including Wilson’s Snipe, Trumpeter Swan, Green-winged Teal, Eastern Bluebird, Northern Mockingbird, Field Sparrow, and Fox Sparrow. Perhaps some of these or other interesting species might show themselves this year.

We will spend about an hour and a half walking around the dikes and woods. Be sure to dress for the weather. The dikes are quite open and it is usually even colder and windier there than other places, so dressing waterproof, windproof, warm, and in layers makes for a more enjoyable event. Warm hands, feet, and head are particularly important. Bring binoculars and field guides if you have them. Spotting scopes will be shared.